Good luck everyone, I wanted to do more, but Jayme’s mom was over this weekend for the 4th and it kinda ate up a lot of roleplaying time. I hope you all enjoy, and stay tuned.
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High in the sky, the stars shone brightly, speckled throughout the field of midnight blue. The moon slowly rose over the horizon. The night air was brisk with the slightest breeze that came in from the ocean. The crashing of the waves was the only sound that could be heard. There was not a soul in sight, except for one lonely figure who laid prone on the sand. With his hands tucked under his head, Paul laid alone. His eyes looked to the Heavens he watched the stars flicker in the night sky. Lost in thought, you could only imagine what was on his mind.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
”I can’t keep doing this.. My body is a mess...
I’m not young anymore.. I can’t keep doing the things that I’ve done my entire career.”
His thoughts jumped down to his right knee as he remembered back to the 2018 Royal Rumble match. He replayed the match back in his mind...
**Omega hit the ropes, but PJ met him in the middle with the discus elbow smash. PJ tossed Omega out, but he landed on the apron. Omega kneed PJ in the face. Omega locked on a hanging triangle over the rope, and PJ pulled him back into the ring, powerbombing him. PJ tried to tackle Omega down, but Omega kneed him in the head. He called for the One Winged Angel again, but PJ tackled him back to the mat. Both men were down. PJ was first to his feet, and climbed the turnbuckle, calling for the 450 splash. Omega was quick to follow after, meeting him in the corner.
Mauro Ranallo: It's perilous for PJ on that second rope.
Omega moved to stand on the first rope, and the two men traded punches. PJ lost his balance, and fell to the ring apron, but saved himself by grabbing the top rope.**
As soon as the memory of the injury crossed his mind, his right knee twitched under his skin. Even though the injury was healed, Paul knew that it would be the same.
”I thought that was it.. When that pop sounded, I knew it was it.. I knew that my career was over. Right there.. In front of thousands of fans live... And not even a glorifying means to the injury.. I lost my footing and slipped off the ropes. The ropes! Me!! That is my bread and butter, and I slipped. I couldn’t believe that the end of my career was going to be from me slipping off the ropes. I couldn’t..”
Even thought silent, Paul chuckled in his head.
”I couldn’t let that be the end.. That’s why I worked so hard to get back here, to get back in that ring. I couldn’t let that be my end. I wouldn’t let that be my end. I was going to get back, no matter how long it took. No matter what I had to do, I was going to get back in that ring and end this game on my terms, not anyone else's.”
He could feel the blood begin to boil under his skin. His passion was never the question when it came to getting back in the ring. Paul knew that, but he didn’t know exactly what it would take.
”I thought that I was better off than most of the guys that tear their ACL.. I had my own personal physical therapist. How could I not excel and get back in the ring faster than expected, but even with all her knowledge and all our hard work.. My body took it’s time. My body let me down for the first time that I could remember. Just when I wanted to make the biggest comeback imaginable, my body let me down..”
As his mind began to wonder again, he could feel and pinpoint all the aches and pains that he could feel throughout his body. The sore neck. The pinched nerve is back. The tenderness of his bruises. He could feel them all.
”My body has never felt like this before.. Sure, I was worn out and torn down when I was the EBWF World Champion, but this was different. These aches and pains are different. Back when I was champion, that pain was telling me that I was overworked.. That I needed a break. This..”
He felt all of his spirit leave his body. Chills covered his skin, but not from the ocean breeze.. The chill was from all the hope in body leaving.
”This is telling me that it’s time to end this.”
Paul’s body went numb, his mind blank. The only thing that seemed real in the world to him, was the stars above him. He couldn’t feel the breeze anymore. The ocean was mute. Every grain of sand felt as though it wasn’t there. All there was, were the stars. As he stared at the stars and everything faded away, Paul could feel himself giving into the hopelessness. He slowly started to close his eyes, so even the stars would disappear. But just as his eyes was about to close, a familiar voice whispered in the night.
Jamie Szantyr-Lloyd: ”Want some company?”
Her angelic voice brought everything his back. His hope. His will. He reopened his eyes and smiled. Jamie’s soft skin seemed to glow in the moonlight. The golden strands of her swayed in the gentle breeze like a flickering flame. Paul smiled up at her. No other words were spoken as the two intuitively knew what the other thought. Jamie laid down beside Paul and snuggled herself next to him. Paul removed his right hand from behind his head. He brought it around Jamie’s neck and tucked her into him. Jamie raise her left hand up to his right hand on her shoulder. She took his hand into hers. Paul’s fingers played around with Jamie’s wedding band. The diamond from her engagement twickled in the moonlight, just like the billions of stars. Paul turned his head and he looked at Jamie as she stared at the stars above.
”Even if all of it ended..”
Jamie noticed Paul staring at her. She smiled at him with a gleam in her eye. Pure innocence emanated from her existence. Paul knew that nothing was better than this.
”I’ve got everything I need.”
Paul looked back up to the stars, but this time he didn’t think of the past. He didn’t think of the future. Everything he wanted and needed was right there with him.
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Tournament Month. The dreaded month where everyone knew that their number would be called. There were no days off. There was no skipping Warfare. Everyone had the spot, and they all knew just what they were going to be in for. The heat of battle waged for a month, one unfortunate soul after another fell. The month ended early.. Their dreams broken.. This is how it was every year at this time, which is why this time of the year has always been both the most exciting, and the most dreadful times of the year. You either wanted to go all the way, or you wanted the tournament itself to go way. This was always the craziest month.
There was one Superstar, who loved this month and every year, he wanted to go the way. But every time he thrived in the King of the Ring Tournament, he failed. This was the one thing that he wanted since he signed his EBWF contract. This tournament was the one thing that he lived for.
PJ Black, former EBWF World Champion, had accomplished his fair share of goals in EBWF over his career, but the one thing that had always eluded him was the King of the Ring Tournament. Could this year be his year? Could this year be the year that he finally became, King.
PJ paced back and forth as he pondered that very thought. At the speed he paced, you would have thought that a rut in the floor where he walked. Normally PJ had his head together, he knew what he was going to do. But this PJ Black looked different.. He looked complexed. He looked totally out of his element. From the side, a voice was heard.
Heath Slater: ”Dude.. Chill. You’ve been here before.”
“You’ve been here before.” Those words echoed through his head as he stopped dead in his tracks. He looked completely out of it, like those words froze him. After a moment, PJ turned around as faced Heath Slater.
Heath Slater: ”Aside from Edge, you’ve been in more of these things than anyone left. You’ve got the experience on your side.”
PJ Black: ”That doesn’t mean a damn thing.. Sami Zayn. Jimmy Havoc. Seth Rollins. All of them went into their respective tournaments with barely any tournament experience, and they all won. Experience has nothing to do with it at this point.”
Heath Slater: ”So what.. All of them faced off against wimps in the finals. None of them beat anyone who was worth a damn.”
PJ looked at Heath with a stone face.
PJ Black: ”Sami beat me.”
Heath Slater: ”No.. He beat Justin Gabriel. You’re not Justin Gabriel..”
Black rolled his eyes and went back to pacing. He started to ramble as he paced.
PJ Black: ”Look, I know I’ve gotten here before.. But this is it. This has always been as far I’ve been able to make it..
I’ve gotten to the top, but never over that peak. Do you know what does.. Do you know how it feels to be so close, time and time again, only to fail. Only to come up just short.. Do you know what that does to your mindset.
It doesn’t matter the final four.. Aiden. Edge. Bobby. They made it here with the same intention as me. They want to win it all. They want to take the glory and go all the way. They want to get the victory and then go onto SummerSlam. They want all of that, just like me..
But...”
Black ran his right hand through his hair. He stopped momentarily to look over at Heath, who looked back. No words were said before PJ took off pacing once again.
PJ Black: ”I need to win this..
Edge, he’s been with EBWF since before I even knew this company existed. Aside from the King of the Ring, he’s done everything that you could think of. And he did it all with style. He’s the one that ended my first reign with the EBWF World Championship. After that, everything changed. After that loss, I haven’t been the same.
Sure, I got the championship back. So I got revenge on Edge for taking it from me. However, he didn’t just take the championship. He took my entire reign. That.. I haven’t paid him back for. So this time, if Edge and I meet out in that ring, I’ll finish taking my revenge. I will keep him from the crown.. The same crown that has eluded me, has eluded him.. And I will make sure that it continues to elude him.”
PJ paused, which allowed Heath to get a word in.
Heath Slater: ”You’re still harping on that loss?”
PJ Black: ”Do you know what I loss when Edge beat me?”
Heath Slater: ”Yeah.. The EBWF World Championship.. Your title reign..”
PJ shook his head slowly. Sure those were the basics, but PJ lost more that day than anyone would know.
PJ Black: ”Edge, he’s a legend. He’s going to be in the Hall of Fame for every company that’s he’s ever been in. There’s no doubt about that. He is hands down, one of the most successful men on the roster today.. But as I said, nearly two years ago, when I faced him for the title.. He’s done. He’s long past his time, and honestly, no offense to Edge, but between me and you.. I’m shocked that he’s in this thing, at least this far into it this year.”
Heath Slater: ”Goes to show you the depth of the EBWF Roster.”
PJ Black: ”We might be shallow, but the talent is there. No matter what, it’s a feat that Edge is still hanging around at the top, when he wants to.”
Black began to pace once again.
PJ Black: ”However, where Edge and I have been at the top, Bobby Lashley is trying to get there, and like many.. He thinks the King of the Ring Tournament will get him that final leg of the journey.
Don’t get me wrong, I get it. I was in his shoes ever time I’ve gone through this tournament. This is actually the first tournament that I’ve entered since I became EBWF World Champion. Two years ago, I didn’t compete because I was the champion. I was the one being hunted..
Last year..
Last year I had to set on the sidelines and watch the King of the Ring Tournament from home. I didn’t compete because I fucked up my knee. That one was hard to handle, but that tournament is over, and here we are. I’m back in this tournament. I’m back at a 100%, and unlike Bobby, I’m hungry.
Sure.. he’s hungry. He wants the EBWF World Championship because he needs something to call something to call his own. He looks across the locker room and sees Hardcore with the Breakout Championship and he wants his own shine thing.. That’s why he tried to get the tag gold, but inevitably failed.”
Slater looked like he was about to speak up, but PJ continued.
PJ Black: ”I know, it wasn’t his fault. It was stupid Tommy End and dumbass Michael Dante.. They managed to keep the titles because that’s what Wes Ikeda wants.
I get that.
But you know.. He needs to man up and take responsibility for his actions. He needs to man up and admit that he lost. I mean, you just heard me. I admitted to Edge beating me for the EBWF World Championship. I admit to my failures. He doesn’t. He just blames the closest person. Could be your if you stood next to before he went out for a match. He’s say your slacker mentality annoyed him and he couldn’t focus.. Yeah. Okay..
Now, if he can get through Edge tonight and I face him in the finals.. You better bet that believe I’m going to make sure that he can’t make excuses for losing. In fact, when he loses tonight, I want him to go out to that ring on Warfare and admit that he lost. Admit that it wasn’t another team.. It wasn’t Lio Rush.. It wasn’t any stupid idiots. It was him.
He’s the one that made it this far in the tournament. He’s the one that will take all the credit in the world if he made it to the finals. It wouldn’t be anyone’s fault, he made it to finals. No.. If that happens, it will be because he did. He dominated everyone in his path to make it to the finals. However, if he loses..
No when he loses.
He will admit that he lost all on his own.”
PJ took another second to breath, which allowed Slater to speak up again.
Heath Slater: ”Dude.. What if you don’t make it to the finals?”
Black stopped and turned to Slater again. The look on his face showed his distaste for what Slater just said. Heath shrugged his shoulders.
Heath Slater: ”Look man, who knows. Aiden’s can handle himself out there. He’s the Gateway Champion.. Honestly, he’s just like you a few years ago.”
PJ Black: ”Exactly..”
Heath Slater: ”What?”
Slater looked confused as Black actually agreed with something he said.
PJ Black: ”He’s the EBWF Gateway Champion. Just like I was the EBWF Path to Glory Champion a few years ago..
I went into the King of the Ring Tournament with the golden ticket on my shoulder, so I know what Adien is thinking right now.. I know that, sure he wants to become King of the Ring. It would be another accomplishment to add to his list. I thought that too..
When I went through the King of the Ring Tournament when I was EBWF Path to Glory Champion, I didn’t care as much. Sure, I knew if I won, it would be a free shot at the World Championship. I wouldn’t have cash in to get it. Basically, the King of the Ring Tournament would be like a second chance.
But..
Once you’re in that mindset, you get stuck with it.. So yes, Aiden wants to win so he can get another shot at the championship without cashing in the EBWF Gateway Championship. But, he also knows that it doesn’t matter if he wins this tournament. He’s the EBWF Gateway Champion. He knows that he has a sure fire shot at the EBWF World Championship whenever and wherever he wants. And that’s a downfall.. That’s what did me in that year. I had it in my mind that sure, it would have been nice to be King of the Ring. But I was the EBWF Path to Glory Champion and I could have my shot whenever I wanted. I didn’t have to do it at SummerSlam. I could have done it whenever I wanted.
So I didn’t try as hard. I didn’t put forth the same drive that I did all the other years when I didn’t have a backup plan. I didn’t care as much..
Basically, I thought, why put forth so much effort. If I won, great.. But I wasn’t going to kill myself and risk injury. If I got injured then what?
Not only would I not have the King of the Ring victory to take me into SummerSlam and have a chance at winning the EBWF World Championship. But in fact, if I got injured during the tournament, I could end up having to have surgery.. That would be a couple of months on the shelf. Obviously. Then while I was on that shelf, I would have had to vacant the EBWF Path to Glory Championship. Lose my sure fire shot at the title, and never know if I would ever have that shot again.”
Black paused again to let the picture set in.
PJ Black: ”I don’t know Aiden personally, but I can almost guarantee that is what’s going on in his mind right now. And if it’s not, then it should be..
Yes.. It’s nice to think about giving it your all and becoming King of the Ring. Hell, to this day, I continue to think about winning this tournament. Why do you think every year that I’m able to, I’m in this thing.”
Slater cut Black off.
Heath Slater: ”The thin rosters.. I know. That’s why I come back every year.. NAW’ MEAN!!”
Slater laughed, but black just looked at him.
PJ Black: ”I want to win this tournament.. Sure there’s the Royal Rumble, but that’s nothing compared to this tournament. The Royal Rumble.. It proves that you were the best, one night.. One match.
The King of the Ring Tournament is the complete opposite.. This tournament takes it out of your for an entire month.. Match after match, you have to prove yourself. You have to prove that you’re the best not on one given night, but several. All accumulating to tonight.. Every match leading up to tonight.. It’s a test. A test to prove that you can handle what’s going to happen tonight.”
Black broke is path and walked around the bench. He sat down as Slater spoke up.
Heath Slater: ”Dude.. I know how it works. I think everyone knows how the King of the Ring Tournament works.”
PJ Black: ”There’s knowing.. And knowing.”
Heath Slater: ”What?”
PJ Black: ”Do you think that tonight’s going to be an easy night?”
Heath Slater: ”Possibility of two matches? Hell naw..”
PJ Black: ”Exactly.. Tonight takes a certain kind of drive.. It takes a certain kind of passion to get you through both matches. I know that passion.. I have that passion. I’ve fed off that passion. I know what it takes to tap into that passion. I’m not saying that’s an advantage.. But it is something that Aiden and Bobby are going to have to figure out on the fly.”
Heath Slater: ”Let’s hope their brains are bigger than their brawn.”
Slater chuckled the two men sat there. PJ looked a little more light hearted after he released his thoughts out loud, but his eyes still showed how worried he was about these upcoming matches.
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Inside the arena, the crowd quickly rushed to their seats as the King of the Ring pay per view was about to kick off. The Kick-Off Show was in it’s final fifteen minutes when it kicked backstage, where there was much more hustling going on by the stagehands and producers. One man that wasn’t running around was former EBWF World Champion, PJ Black. He stood, dressed and ready to go out for his opening matchup.
Black jumped back and forth on his toes, amped and ready. His eyes were closed, trying to focus his mind just as much as he was trying to loosen up his body. As he was in his process of getting ready, Renee Young walked up. In a hurry to get through as many of the EBWF Superstars as she could before the King of the Ring actually started. She put her arm on PJ’s shoulder and spoke out as he opened his eyes.
Renee Young: ”PJ.. In just a few moments, you will go out there and face off against Aiden English.. If you win, you advance to finals of the King of the Ring Tournament. What is going through your mind right now?”
Black nodded as he took a moment before he answered.
PJ Black: ”Renee.. You know I’ve been in this position before. Tonight, I’m hoping to do double duty out there. Not only do I want to go out there and beat Aiden Engish, but I’m already ready for Bobby Lashley or Edge too.. Aiden’s a tough competitor, I mean he’s the Gateway Champion for a reason.. This isn’t going to be easy getting past Aiden. Especially knowing that I have either Bobby Lashley or Edge next.”
Renee Young: ”Speaking of Lashley and Edge.. Which of those two would you want to face in the finals, if you can get past Aiden.”
PJ Black: ”I’m not going to lie.. I want Edge. Bobby Lashley is a monster.. Honestly, he’s worse than a monster. He’s something on his own level.. If anyone would rather face off against Lashley instead of Edge, then he has a death with. Now miracles can happen, and if I had to face Bobby, there’s a chance that I could still win. But I think that I would have a better chance if I faced off against Edge.”
Renee Young: ”You and Edge have a history.. Do you think if you two meet later tonight, that history will come to boil?”
Black had to have a chuckle before he answered Renee.
PJ Black: ”Edge and I.. Yeah we have a past. We’ve met in this tournament a couple times I believe. Then he took the EBWF World Championship from me, and I took it back. I don’t know if I would call that, history. But if the EBWF Universe wants to know if all that is going to come up in this..
Sure.. Why not. The King of the Ring Tournament is war. Tonight, out in that ring, it’s our battlefield. If Edge and I do end up coming to blows on that battlefield, everything is game.
Plus I’m still a little bitter when it comes to Edge. Everyone knows that he’s that not only took the EBWF World Championship from me, but he ended my championship streak.. Before Edge beat me, I held onto EBWF gold for nearly two years.. That’s something that I don’t think I have it in me to do again.. So I’m a little sour when I think of Edge. I think, if we battle on that battlefield tonight, I think I would take out some of that bottled up frustration.”
Black shrugged his shoulders as he knew it was wrong to say, but he had to say it.
Renee Young: ”Back to Bobby Lashley for a moment.. Hardcore Holly and Lio Rush. Do you think that Edge, and possibly yourself, will have to contend with them at ringside.”
He sighed and shook his head.
PJ Black: ”Deep down, I want to say no. I want to say that Bobby Lashley has what it takes to do this on his own, but if Hardcore and Lio want to get involved, than Edge will have to adapt and be ready for that. As for me, if Bobby makes through Edge, with help, then I know I’m going to have to worry about the same thing.”
He took a second, but quickly returned to speaking.
PJ Black: ”Unlike Edge, I have opportunity to scout.. When I make it past Aiden, I’m going to sit down and I’m going to watch Bobby and Edge. I’m going to see what the two of them have planned. So if Bobby wants to use his buddies, then I’m going to see it first hand. I’m going to know that it’s coming. I’m going to know what tricks Bobby wants to play.. Hell, I’m going to see what games Edge wants to play if manages to beat Bobby Lashley. Honestly.. Tonight, I have the best setup for my match. In just a few moments, I take on Aiden... In the first match.”
Black smirked.
PJ Black: ”After I’m finished with Aiden, I’m going to be able to just sit back and relax. Put my feet up, watch the rest of the show. Focus in on Edge and Lashley’s match and see what each man brings to the table. If either wants to cheat, I’ll know. If either wants to be aggressive, I’ll know. I’m going to have to upper hand going into the finals.”
Renee Young: ”But only if manage to beat Aiden.”
PJ Black: ”Excuse me?”
Renee Young: ”Everything with Bobby Lashley and Edge only matters if you can beat your first opponent, Aiden English.”
He nodded to show his acknowledgement of Renee being right.
PJ Black: ”That’s right.. I can’t overlook Aiden, and believe me I’m not..
Aiden, he’s talented.. He’s got what it takes to make it in this business, and him aligning himself with one of, if not the greatest wrestling family in the history of wrestling.. He’s really go something going for him. It’s set to do big things..
But...
He’s not going to win this tournament. Believe Renee, I want to tell you that Aiden stands a change. I want to tell you that this match will be a nail-biter all the way to the end, but I’m not going to let that happen. For me to let it get that close, will mean that it’ll be too close for comfort. Cutting it that close will mean that I could lose, easily. One false move, just like the Royal Rumble two years ago.. One mistake and I could lose..
I know that.. Which is why I’m going to make sure everything is precise.. Everything I do out there tonight will be on point. I’m not going to rush things. I’m not going to make it easy to beat me.. I won’t make a mistake out there. If Aiden wants to beat me, he’s going to have to prove that he’s better than me. If he wants to beat me, he’s going to have to actually beat me. And I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t believe Aiden will be able to actually beat me. I don’t believe Aiden can beat me. No matter how hard he tries.”
Renee watches PJ as he spoke. She waited for just the right moment to ask yet another question.
Renee Young: ”Why don’t you think Aiden has what it takes?”
PJ Black: ”Honestly, on a normal day, I would say Aiden could beat me. He could get the better of me. But this isn’t a normal day. This isn’t even a normal pay per view. Renee.. This is the King of the Ring. This is tournament season. This is the time of the year that brings out the best in me. But not only that..”
Black took a second to collect his thoughts.
PJ Black: ”This year is personal to me.. Renee.. I’m not as young as I used to be. My body is not what it used to be, and honestly, I don’t know how much I have left in me.. That is why this tournament this year means more than any year in the past. I don’t know if I’m going to be here next year.. I don’t know if my body will allow it. And if my body gives out.. I want to make sure that I lived with no regret. I want to make sure that I leave this business, knowing that I did everything I wanted to do.
The King of the Ring..
This is one thing that has eluded me my entire run here in EBWF. Every time I got close, I came up short. Every time I had the victory in sight, I lost. But not this time.. This year I will not give up. I will not take second place. I can’t take second place.
That is why Aiden English will have nothing on me this year. That is why it doesn’t matter whether I’m facing Bobby Lashley or Edge in the finals. None of those men are fighting for what I’m fighting for. None of those men are fighting to fulfill this career..
Aiden, he’s got years ahead of him. Lashley.. He may be older than me, but the man was chiseled out of marble. He doesn’t crack. And Edge.. Edge won’t stay away from this place until the company sets up barricades to keep him out. They all have next year to look forward to. They all have the next tournament to look forward to. I don’t.”
Confused came across Renee’s face.
Renee Young: ”What do you mean?”
PJ Black: ”What do you think Renee..”
PJ shrugged his shoulders just as he heard his music blast onto the sound system. He looked at Renee before he walked away, leaving her question unanswered.
